Supernatural - 6.2: "Two and a Half Men" Review

A woman covered in blood runs with her baby and hides under the bed, but she's found and killed.   Dean (Jensen Ackles) brings Lisa (Cindy Sampson) and Ben (Nicholas Elia) back to a new house.

Lansing, Michigan.   Sam (Jared Padalecki) dressed in suit and tie tells Samuel (Mitch Pileggi) the alarm never went off  and the baby is missing.   Dean wants them to stay in and orders pizza.   Sam didn't find any EMF, or sulphur.   Samuel has trouble using the computer, so why didn't he just call Bobby, even though we are meant to see them getting to work with their family more?   "Sometimes I wonder about us." Sam: "Sometimes I wonder about me too." The alarm never went off and there are same systems in other houses.  Sam doesn't seem interested in the missing babies, whereas in the past that would have been his first concern. He's more interested in the hunt.   Ben (Nicholas Elia) plays with Dean's gun and Dean is angry, he doesn't want him touching shooting a gun.   He loses his cool and rightly so.   Dean isn't Dad after all and so doesn't want to teach Ben the same things he learned, or had already learned at his age.

Another couple with a six month old baby (why is the baby always six months old?) are attacked.   Lisa wants to know what's happening with Dean.   He can't let anything happen on his watch and he doesn't now what could come after them.   Sam finds both parents dead and a man attacks him in their house in a security uniform.   Sam cuts him with a blade and his skin burns.   Sam finds the baby and needs Dean's help, like all of a sudden Dean is such an expert on babies.   Still he was good.   Dean: "What's so nuts you've gotta threaten a damn drive-by?" The baby is a shapeshifter.   Sam: "Welcome to the party Guttenberg." Dean has to leave and gives Lisa the gun, cos it's okay for her to use it.   Reminds her to salt all the doors and windows.

Dean brings his pick-up but Sam has his car and Dean needs to wear his seatbelt.   Needing baby supplies they head to the market. Dean appears to be in his element with the baby, he's been on milk runs.   Well he did look after Sam a lot of the time.  The baby doesn't stop crying at the checkout so a woman (BJ Harrison) helps out and takes the baby from Dean.   Sam tells Dean people are staring at them like they're child abusers.   The baby is called Bobby John cos each of them call him a different name.  Come on would you give your baby to a stranger.   Dean notices the woman's flashing eyes in the CCTV.   Dean demands the baby before he stabs her in the neck.   Sam exclaims, "Dean" didn't that reek of emotion on Sam's part like he cares, or did he just not want the hassle of being watched by everyone, which is kind of like the same thing?   Next follows a funny chase scene.

Sam thinks he was probably followed.   The man gets Sam's plates checked out since he's not the patrolman, (Jackson Berlin) after shifting into the body.   Sam calls the baby, "it." Dean's got a 'Dr Huxtable vibe-like' father material - like with Ben and he likes to think of him as his own.   After their childhood, he wants to do something different with Ben, just as I said.   Sam says he keeps them on lockdown and that's no different from how they were raised.   For 22 years, Dad said their life was temporary.   How can Dean watch out for them and not "turn them into Dad."

One of the father's is still alive and Sam leaves to check out the lead.   Dean gives the baby a suck of his booze.   The father tells Sam his wife cheated on him (yeah with his lookalike) and lied to him, he was out of town, but it wasn't him.   Dean and his vibrating bed again.   The baby shapeshifts.  Sam thinks the patrolman is the baby's father, who comes after the baby, saying the baby should be "with our father."   They head to Samuel.

Dean says the baby isn't really a baby but he's not a monster either.   Samuel will know what to do.   Becoming very reliant on Samuel aren't' they, whereas before they hardly ever needed anyone.   Sam thinks Samuel is like Dean: "I'm a freakin' headcase." Dean's very protective .   Dean: "You can just stand there and think of me." Dean doesn't want Samuel to answer the question of what he'll do.   Dean tells them they're all hunters.   Samuel recalls Mom was tiny too.  Samuel suggests they raise him.   But Dean's mind goes to torture and rightly so.   Christian's (Corin Nemec) heard about Dean's time in the pit.   Mark (David Paetkau) thinks he could be a great hunter.   Dean: "You can't Angelina Jolie a shapeshifter." Dean wants to know how both Sam and Samuel returned from where they were.  

The baby is given to Christian.   Dean bursts out he's got no business raising anything.   (As we'll see in episode 6.7).   Sam asks why; cos he's a hunter.   Their place is raided by the shifter and kills Mark.   They should have known it would have been easier to use the knife on him and why aren't they prepared with silver bullets either when they know what's after them.   Also Sam said he was followed before, so it's pretty likely he was followed again.

Sam leaves the panic room to help and now Sam has also been shapeshitfed into, then changes into Dean (again as in 1.6 Skin.)  Funny the shifter doesn't kill Sam and Dean, why?  Sam thinks the shifter was an Alpha: the first one which spawned the others and could feel the baby anywhere.   They don't know if it can be killed.   The shifter in the motel meant Alpha as in 'father.' Dean knows if Sam heard them at the motel then he knew he was an Alpha and that he'd come for the baby.   Sam used the baby as bait and that's not all Sam will use as bait later on.

Sam thought Samuel's was the safest place.   Samuel claims not to have caught the shifter and have to find some way to find it.  Samuel is definitely up to something.   Dean is afraid cos Dad was like Dean all the time.   Lisa tells him things re different now cos Sam's around.   Now it's Lisa's turn to get the "I get it" line.   Everyone in the show lately gets that line.   Dean isn't bad and wants him to leave.   He can return when he can.   The Impala is back!

Sometimes I don't like it when they use clips in the 'Then' segment cos it usually gives away what the episode is about, okay not usually, it does give it away so there's not much of an element of surprise and don't think they should do that.

As if Sam and Dean reuniting wasn't enough, they now have a baby to look after too, at least Dean does.   Sam is just oblivious to any sort of feelings or 'paternal instinct' and what is it they say, never work with children and animals.   Appears the 'Alphas' of a species or monster etc, are making an appearance this season and are referred to as "our father or father."  Why after all this time are they located or found?   Samuel appears to be keeping them for his own purposes, like he's selling them but he wouldn't be in it for the the money.   Sam seemed to show some speckle of feeling or emotion or why else would he say they're being watched like  they're 'abusers.'  Then it's revealed he was using the baby as bait to catch the shifter.   Again the Sam we knew wouldn't do that.

Lots of references to films, such as Three Men and A  Baby, when Sam calls Dean 'Guttenberg, as in Steve, one of the stars. The Cosby Show, where Bill Cosby played Dr Huxtable with his brood of children.   Also an Angelina Jolie reference here to looking after the baby, which she does, look after children and has quite a brood of her own.

I likes the references made to Dad, their own upbringing, especially now they had a baby to look after and protect for a while.   Also the allusions to how Dean doesn't want to be like Dad and not wanting the same life for Ben.   No mention of Dean looking after Sam when he was a baby either, but then some could say he's still looking out for him now.   Maybe he just wanted to forget.   Sam calling the baby "it." Whereas he would have called it a baby normally and he called them all babies when he was investigating.   Dean had experience with the milk run cos Lisa used to look after her niece.

Also Sam calling the baby after Dad, 'John' and Dean calling him Bobby, shows he no longer is in awe of Dad anymore, so at least he's grown over 6 seasons, character-wise.   Whereas Sam who had Dad issues since season 1 thinks of him now.   Then we get Dean calling the baby a "thing" in the motel.   That motel room looked eerily familiar.   Harking back to season 1 cos I love my allusions to past episodes, when Sam was at Stanford, Sam refers to the Brady Bunch (also mentioned last episode) and his friend refers to the Huxtables.

Did you like the way the baby shifted into the baby on the nappy/diaper pack cos he hadn't come across any other images?

CSI: NY - 8.11: "Who's There" Review

A couple make small talk at dinner, interspersed with flashes of what is about to befall them.   Their home is invaded and the husband is killed presumably during the attack.   It was apparent their marriage is over.   Flack (Eddie Cahill) says the wife called for help which must have been a feat itself considering she was bound, gagged and in the bedroom.   There were two intruders and both wore ski masks, what we'd call balaclavas.   The daughter Megan, (Heather Sossaman) was at the movie theatre.   Mac (Gary Sinise) questions all the houses in the neighbourhood to find out "why the attackers chose this one?"

Lindsay (Anna Belknap) processes the CS as we get more flashes of the events from the night.   She finds a ski mask under the husband, Ron's (Vincent Ventresca) DB and the empty box that was delivered.   Jo (Sela Ward) finds a hair from a slashed painting.   One obvious clue to the killer was how the wife, Elizabeth (Sandra Hess) got so much blood on her shirt.   She opened the door for the package and they wanted the location of the safe.

Ron fought back and pulled the mask off  and was beaten.   She didn't recognize him.   So if Elizabeth also saw his face why didn't she get killed too? Because they weren't out to kill anyone.   Also she thinks she waited too long to call for help, Megan returns.   Sid (Robert Joy) finds a piece of a playing card stuck to Ron's suit.   Lindsay whiffs the empty box which was the scent of vanilla. Obviously it was used for candles.

Mac finds Megan's alibi checks out and Jo didn't think of her as a suspect (well she was wrong for once), She was a suspect but not in the murder.   Mac hasn't seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Jo suggests he should, "It ranks right up there with that 8 hour Reagan documentary you're always watching."  Lindsay thinks she's the only one working.   Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) discovered the hair came from a vicuna and does a magic trick with playing cards.   Lindsay picks the Queen of Spades which is the card from which the fragment came.   Also Danny was the one who had to tell her the box was used for scented candles.  She's getting the addresses for customers who ordered them in the city.

Flack had to take Lindsay along.   He tells her her exact words were "one more stop than we'd get a bite to eat."  Why is she driving anyway, just like Stella?   Flack: "You're not saying what I think you're saying."  Which is word for word what Danny says.  Flack: "men and women."  At least Flack got to mention food as is his trademark in this show, though he hasn't done an awful lot of eating, at least it was remembered after so long.   Lindsay pulls out the artist's sketch and she had to play hero, pointing out the man and then driving and ramming the van into the suspects vehicle.  

Surprised she wasn't in interrogation!  Flack tells Mark (John Terardi) stolen property was found at his apartment and he refuses to name his accomplice.   Mac tells him they have all the evidence pointing to him.   Ron wasn't meant to get hurt but he broke free.

Sid finds his results are inconsistent  with Ron's injuries.   Jo thinks it's a slam dunk, blunt force trauma case.   The injuries to his head weren't severe enough for death.   He had peticuii in his eyes and the swelling of his brain wasn't enough to cause respiratory failure.   Adam (AJ Buckley) ponders the significance of the playing card on the DB and wonders if someone else could have brought it in, something Lindsay didn't think of.   He found sticky residue on the card and put it through GCMS and found it was rootbeer, manufactured in Wisconsin.

Hawkes (Hill Harper) says Mark had a second phone found in his apartment, which Jo thinks means Ron was hiding something.   Voicemails were left from his partner, Phillip Roth (Robb Derringer).   Danny finds vicuna hair is used for expensive suits and Phillip was wearing one in the photo with Ron.   He left the messages to make a point and the same thing with the painting he slashed.   The couple were divorcing and Ron didn't want Elizabeth getting any money.   Hawkes also finds Ron had a mistress, Eva Hutton (Kate Lang Johnson) on an Internet site, where he left a message about Elizabeth "being gone for good." That really could have meant anything.   Mac thinks he was planning on killing Elizabeth.

Eva doesn't know who Ron is and didn't set up the profile page.   Mac informs Elizabeth of the affair and she lies again.   She finally admits their marriage wasn't perfect.   Mac believes her, how could he with all the suspects he's dealt with over the years.  Also aren't they meant to suspect the spouse from the outset.   Jo and Lindsay set up a profile page for Mac, why did Lindsay do this and not Adam, at least he would have had something to do, mot likely cos Mac wouldn't get angry at her.   Jo posits someone else can build a profile page and Elizabeth sett up one for Eva.   There are details on her laptop.   Mac doesn't want a profile page and Jo calls what Elizabeth did entrapment.   Lindsay had to ask the most obvious question again, as she used to in the past about why the page was needed involving a real person.   Jo replies since a real person can be verified and she was using Eva in the divorce.   Mac calls it evidence to support Elizabeth's story and he thinks Elizabeth "seemed so convincing."

Sid actually reaches his conclusion that COD was by smothering.   He found a white cotton fibre in Ron's trachea, Elizabeth's white shirt and why she had so much blood on it.   Lindsay finds this is the first time the movie was at the theatre in a year.   Mac thinks the attacker brought the card into the house so there was a second attacker.   Didn't Elizabeth say there were two before? This would mean it had to be Megan and thus explains why the mother wasn't beaten.   Flack finds Megan on the surveillance tape from the theatre.   She went in but didn't come out, claiming she used the back exit.   Flack also tells her about the torn card.   Megan wanted money and her father was just throwing it away.   He wasn't meant to get hurt and Mark is her boyfriend.   It was her idea but she loved her father.

Jo thinks she must have been so young and desperate to have done what she did and she believes she didn't kill her father.   It was Elizabeth who smothered him with her shirt and that's why she took so long to call for help.   Mac is disgusted that Elizabeth would let Megan take the fall for her father's murder.   Mac: "That is cold." He found oils from his face on the back of her shirt.   Mac says she should have just got a divorce, but she wouldn't get anything.   Mac says she's got nothing now either.   Which is what we said.   So how will she live now and he wasn't going to kill her.   Ron knew she was pretending to be Eva and sent the e-mail as a joke.

Mac gets a 'friend request' on his profile page which he opens up and he looks pretty angry or shocked as his expression changes.   Is it from the new woman in his life, or from Claire?  Anyway why did Jo and Lindsay set up that page for Mac and not one of themselves.  Also why leave it when it was set up instead of just deleting it?   Now the story will keep us guessing as to who it was.   I'd like to say Claire but also there will be another woman in Mac's life, it's okay for those who are ahead.   We just have to keep guessing for a bit longer.

This episode just appeared to be a routine one.   Nothing much happened but got to see plenty of smug Lindsay!  Whilst everyone else, such as Danny and Hawkes, even Adam, got relegated to the sidelines.   Hawkes and Danny no longer have prominent roles in the show which isn't fair to their fans.   Also don't know why they have to keep pairing her up with Flack when she was always the lab rat!  It's too much to bare when she goes in all gung ho supposedly 'saving the day.'  That's not her job and she's just upstaging our Flack! and I draw the line at that.

Knew Elizabeth was behind it she was acting suspiciously form the outset .   Hey how many times  has the spouse been the guilty party and the motive is always money?   Surprised Ron stayed married to her for so long and if he was a real estate mogul, why no prenup?   Also why was Mac so taken in by her?   I know I've mentioned Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) from NCIS many times with his theory of "the spouse did it."  He'd have been right here, just like me.

Come on who goes out to bring in an abandoned package at night?   Mind you down here many delivery companies leave packages outside without even getting a signature.

Mac's profile: Employment: NYPD Crime Lab

College: University of Chicago.

High school: Lincoln High

Fave quotes: "A nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." Calvin Coolidge.

Music: The Who (for obvious reasons) and the Rollings Stones

Movies: A Bridge Too Far, Dirty Harry.   For some reason I can imagine Mac watching Dirty Harry.   Lindsay's awful impersonation of Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry with his 'feeling lucky' line.

Television: Survivor, NCIS, which must be mentioned.   I've always wanted a cross over of CSI:NY with NCIS.   Mac and Gibbs (Mark Harmon) both Marines would have a lot in common.

Flack: "Apparently he and his partner made a killing during the housing bubble."  Jo: "Looks like the killing didn't stop there."

Carmine and Vincent Ventresca were both in The Learning Curve (2001) and Vincent was in Prey as well as The Invisible Man and in the CSI:Miami episode Invasion.  Heather Sossaman was in CSI episode CSI Down and CSI:Miami Death Pool 100.   Robb Derringer was in CSI Evaluation Day and in CSI:Miami episode Stalkerazzi.   Kate Lang Johnson was in CSI:Miami Rap Sheet and Bolt Action.   Sandra Hess was in  CSI episodes Assume Nothing and All for our Country.

This episode reminded me of CSI:NY season 6.4 Dead Reckoning where a woman confesses to killing her husband who cheated on her.  She stabbed him 17 times; but the DNA showed another woman involved.   That had a scene with a couple at dinner too.

The Vampire Diaries - 2.22: "As I Lay Dying" Review

Damon (Ian Somerhalder) returns home and in a pang of desperation tries to kill himself by burning in direct sunlight and is saved by Stefan (Paul Wesley) who then locks him in the cellar to prevent anymore foolishness on his part.   Gone With the Wind (1939) is being screened, only fitting really seeing as the show is filmed on location in Georgia and it provides a backdrop to Damon's flashes.   Stefan asks Bonnie (Katerina Graham) to contact Emily (Bianca Lawson) again as the witch may be able to help with a cure.   Emily possesses Bonnie and Stefan needs a spell to heal a werewolf bite.   Emily refuses to help Damon, saying it's his time to die.   Ah, no, can't kill off a lead like that.   Bonnie is abusing her power as she tells Stefan, but she gave a name, Klaus (Joseph Morgan)

Carol Lockwood (Susan Walters) demands an update on the vampire situation from Sheriff Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) who replies she's handling it.   Can't be that easy to handle, nor can it be easy handling vampires or living in a town where everyone knows about the bloodsuckers but where none of the other species of warlocks, werewolves etc.  seem to pose as much trouble.  Stefan tells Elena (Nina Dobrev) how Damon was bitten trying to help Tyler (Michael Trevino) and she feels sad since she turned Damon away when he tried to apologize to her.   Probably another reason why he wanted to end it all.  

Stefan tells her about Klaus but she fears he will kill Stefan.   Stefan feels he owes his brother since he was the one who turned him into a vampire to begin with.   That was Damon's own choice though wasn't it, for the love of a girl, Katherine, who didn't really want him.   Well she didn't cos she couldn't have wanted both Damon and Stefan, like she was playing one brother off against the other.   Some women are like that.   He wants Elena to go to Damon and convince him there's still hope.

Damon has a flash to the past as he spies on Katherine who berates him for spying on a Southern belle (ahem) whilst she invites him in anyway cos her corset is knotted, a bit like her.   Sorry but I don't like Katherine, a selfish vamp if ever there was one.  She's no Scarlett O'Hara.   Damon rues how he made the wrong choice and went for her when Stefan warned him, Katherine was wrong to want them both.   Elena tells him Katherine was playing them and all he had to do was walk away but he didn't.   As he told Katherine he could "chase her forever."

Katherine tells Stefan that Klaus was meant to be dead by now and she's been waiting two days to be free of his compulsions.  Klaus returns saying he has an obligation to his brother, Elijah (Daniel Gillies) who wants to be reunited with his family, which is exactly what he does by stabbing him and then stabs Stefan too.   Katherine blabs he's trying to help Damon but not in the same way as Klaus helped his brother.   Stefan needs a cure and will do anything.   Wonder if he thought anything would mean pandering to Klaus and his demand for Stefan to become bad.   Well seeing as he was meant to be the good one.   Klaus thinks Stefan is "useless now."

Damon tells Alaric (Matt Davis) his subconscious haunts him, shouldn't it be more than just his subconscious, since it just seems to defer to Katherine all the time.   Alaric doesn't blame him for Jenna (Sara Canning) who was killed cos of Damon; or blame him for his wife's death.   He gives Damon a drink and his ring.   Damon is "trying to right the wrongs of the past."  He pleads for his death and to be killed.   Damon needs blood and the Sheriff comes for Damon who gets the chance to escape.  Alaric calls Jeremy (Steven R McQueen) to find Elena and Caroline (Candice Accola) hears this with her enhanced hearing.

Klaus had heard of a vampire who was on and off the wagon and when he was off, he was a "true ripper."  Stefan hasn't been that way in ages.   But Klaus only has use for him like he was back then.   He bites Katherine on her wrist, then makes her swallow his blood, showing that Klaus's blood is the cure.   Damon sees Katherine yet again.   So much for wanting to right the wrongs of the past. Katherine appears to be the instigator of all these wrongs since that's where his subconscious is leading and somehow I don't think it's out of love for her.

Elena attempts to convince the Sheriff she's wrong about them and that Damon's not well.   A call comes in of Damon's whereabouts and when the Sheriff arrives she's all gung ho and trigger happy and fires at him, who vanishes, leaving Jeremy as the brunt of her bullets.   Jeremy has his ring, but Bonnie says he's human and it won't work on him.   Caroline tries to get him to drink her blood.   Meanwhile Klaus is having a blood fest of his own by getting Stefan to drink bags and bags of blood in return for the cure.   Someone's raided the blood banks.   He finally gives Katherine the cure to take to Damon but Stefan is adamant she won't do that.   Klaus hypnotizes her to take it, which Stefan doesn't know, but then she told him she was still under Klaus's compulsion.

Bonnie tries to conjure a spell for healing Jeremy and bringing him back form the dead.   There will be consequences for helping Jeremy, is that why he's visited by the ghosts of Vicky and Ann at the end.   She begs for help and confesses she loves Jeremy who returns from the dead.   Lots of that going around lately.   Damon has yet another flashback to Katherine in the woods and he wants her blood.   She taunts him by saying she' won't give it, he'll have to take it.   Knowing too well that's exactly what he'll do.   He chooses Katherine and she must promise not to tell Stefan.

Elena finds Damon and he tries to feed off her.   Where was everyone when the movie was still playing? The place seemed to be abandoned.   Caroline explains she told her mother about her, but then made her forget as she was afraid of what she would do, but she's not scared now and is still her daughter.   Jeremy searches 'back from the dead' on the Net and tells Bonnie he doesn't feel normal.   He can thank her tomorrow and the day after she tells him.   Alaric wants to stay the night and he also repeats what Bonnie told him about thanking him tomorrow.

Damon won't hurt Elena and he blamed Stefan for who he is but it was his own choice, "I made the wrong choice" and he's sorry.  Just like Klaus is Stefan's choice now put of necessity.   Stefan can live here or embrace what he is and leave with Klaus.   Damon believes he deserves to die but if he had made a different choice he wouldn't have met Elena.   Elena forgives him and he knows she loves Stefan, but Damon loves her and she kisses him.   What was that for, out of pity, a kiss before dying or did she really want to kiss him.   Many would have opted for the latter choice too, ha.   He thanks her, stating she should have met him in 1864 ( a very good year, ha) as she would have liked him then.   Elena likes him now and Katherine brings the cure.   Katherine owed him.  She tells Elena that Stefan "gave himself" to Klaus to help his brother and Elena has Damon for company.   Finally telling her "it's okay to love them both. I did."  Elena messages Stefan about Damon being okay.

Stefan tells him Katherine won't return and he knows about her 'vervain.'  Klaus will tell Stefan what he wants eventually.   He feeds off a woman and wants Stefan to honour their agreement.   A "ripper enjoys the hunt." Which is what Stefan has turned into now.   Suppose he's bad now cos you can't have two good vampires at the same time.   Thought after the centuries of trouble they've been through, Stefan would have been much stronger than that but he just appears to give in without a fight and is turned once again.   Even when he knows Damon is cured.   Didn't think he'd let Klaus win over him like that.   Jeremy at home, is haunted by the ghosts of Vicki and Ann.

I know I'm a bit of a recent convert to the show, cos of time and getting the seasons late over here, but I did always intend to watch this from the start. Got a lot to catch up on, having watched episodes now and then.   Lots of character development here as Stefan reverts back to embracing his dark, evil side once more and all for the love of his brother and sacrifice of his love for Elena.   Stefan was quite a calm character considering his past and that he is a vampire after all - now we'll get to see him change in season 3 and to wreak havoc, but will he actually leave Mystic Falls.  

Does Damon's love for Elena have anything to do with her resemblance to Katherine, cos you have to wonder if he's not still infatuated by her looks more than her personality.   How can he just accept she loves Stefan and leave it at that since he's got so much passion and love inside.   Though quite frankly wouldn't want to see Damon with anyone really, ha.   We would've liked Damon back in 1864 and now too.   Damon in the cellar, er cell, was a hark back to season 1 when he locked Stefan there when he was going through the motions of suicide.   Elena holding and comforting Damon (come on she was enjoying herself!) was the same as he did for Rose.  

Don't want Damon becoming all good though since that's not really in his nature and may prove a little tedious to watch.   He's had his suicidal tendencies and his brush with death, so hopefully it'll be back to 'normal' for him and his snide side too.   Liked the Gone With the Wind backdrop about fiery tempers, lost love, unrequited love, redemption for Scarlett, all fitting themes for this finale.   Plus it's one of my fave movies being  a huge fan of Vivien Leigh.   The title, As I Lay Dying, alludes to a William Faulkner novel.  Which was based on the title of Book XI of Homer's The Odyssey, where Agamemnon utters to Odysseus: "As I lay dying the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades."  Now could Elena be said woman with dog's eyes.

Hey this is one show which would make a great cross-over episode with Supernatural.   That'd be great to watch, Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Damon, the possibilities of these hotties getting together in one show are endless!

Lie to Me 2.19 Pied Piper Review

 The episode where Cal (Tim Roth) watches the execution of Jason Wilkes (David Marciano) the man he put away - helped Zoe (Jennifer Beales) put away and the first one of his cases who was given the death penalty, as Gillian (Kelli Williams) explains.  Cal has his doubts and at first thinks he could have been wrong.  Yet he's never wrong, so that was moot.  Also it was another chance for those around him, particularly the women in his life, Zoe and Gillian, to fret over him and they were both right, he would open up to Emily (Hayley McFarland).  He'd do anything for her, as we know, which is as it should be, being her father.

Eli (Brendan Hines) expresses his concerns over Cal not showing any emotions after someone he helped put away is executed.  But then what can you do, that is the nature of capital punishment. Strangely, Eli doesn't seem to feature prominently  in many episodes and when they do include him, he's given completely inadequate scenes; which doesn't really do much for his character in terms of development.  In fact he seems to go backwards in doing or saying something we've already seen.  Like having a bail out plan at the first signs of the Lightman Group being sued bu Jason's brother Kevin (David Rees Snell) for wrongful death.  He's got his resume ready for Jack, from ep 2.3 Control Factor which doesn't show much confidence in the boss or his job, but Cal susses out what he was intending to do at the end.

Also Gillian berates them both, Ria (Monica Raymund) who would have still been a "glorified baggage handler" and Eli would have still been conducting research in his basement, er, he still does that now, albeit in the office and not a basement.  Eli: "...the way he insults me on a daily basis, blind loyalty would just be self loathing and the best time to look for  a job is when you already have one."
It's not the first time his job has been in jeopardy, particularly since he got relegated to no-pay status in season 1.  Also this quote appears out of place, since in ep 2.17 Bullet Bump when Cal punched him for kissing Emily; Eli managed to get a half-baked apology out of Cal.  But here it's back to the same old, "he hates me" mode. That's why episodes need to be shown in production order.  But then again, Cal will never change.

That look on Ria's face when the news shows Jason has been executed reeked of smugness, reinforced earlier on, when Eli tells her she's not the executioner.  She replies she'd be happy to throw the switch.  You'd expect a little more empathy from her, given her background and own sister's life.  Her family is far from perfect.  Why couldn't Ria read Kevin when she and Eli bought him pastries in an attempt to get him to drop the lawsuit - thought that's why they went there, not just to sweet talk him.  She being a natural and everything.  Even when he said no one looks him in the eye anymore!

Emily asks Cal if he only married Zoe cos she was pregnant, would think that question works both ways: Zoe didn't have to accept the proposal.  Gillian attempting to psychoanalyze Cal in the car which was pointless, he was out to help Zoe - the young prosecutor and Gillian is also aware Cal knows he could be wrong.  Then he later comes up with not being wrong on both counts, i.e. then and now.  Cal: "Do you charge by the hour for this?"
Gillian: "Classic deflection.  Classic Cal Lightman."

Just wish these eps were shown in the right order, the cast's hair keeps changing every week for starters.  Thought there was also a wasted opportunity on mentioning the death penalty and a bit more could have been said about it in Eli and Ria's conversation than just a passing comment.  Okay that's not what the show is about but it was merited in this ep as Cal was so closely linked to the case.  The suspect was apparent as usual and if he wasn't, then he should have been when the 'first son' was mentioned.  But this show isn't about guessing the suspect, though that's not hard to do, but more about the characters and their interactions, especially with one another.

Ben (Mekhi Phifer) calling Cal "insane" which is the excuse he needed to check himself into the hospital.  There was also 'spot' The Shield cast, if you found your concentration wandering:  Catherine Dent (Faye) also agent Darcy in the Mentalist.  Benito Martinez played Charlie here.  David Marciano, who was also the original Ray in Due South; David Rees Snell, Kenneth Johnson and Cathy Cahlin (Beth).  The Pied Piper led rats out of Hamlyn and here there was a not so subtle reference to this when Ben opens the crate and frees the rats.

Wonder if Eli ever gets an episode which is primarily about him cos he's really wasted in this show.  Ria got one with her sister and he just seems to be the cute 'filler' guy and we do deserve to see more of him on screen.

The Mentalist - 4.8: "Pink Tops" Review

Patrick and the CBI investigate the killing of an undercover cop, linking her murder to a drug dealer. Meanwhile Cho meets a prostitute who is enamoured of him.

A woman at a club leaves after receiving a text message, bumping into another woman along the way.   She's shot, (that was a woman's hand holding the gun so not much room for a slew of suspects).   Patrick (Simon Baker) comments Lisbon (Robin Tunney) looks rested.   Chief Henderson (Dean Norris) called for help.  Patrick notices two shots were fired to her head. Her name is Yolanda (Natalia Costellanos) and she has a stamp on her wrist from Club Luxure.   He also notices her polish was 'sloppily' applied...   She was also wearing a sports bra with which Lisbon agrees.   Patrick wonders why she was wearing a disguise, which was the key word for this episode, as will be revealed later.   Henderson knew her, she was an undercover cop, working narcotics.   Known as Yoli, her ID must be kept secret.   Henderson leaves after insulting Patrick and telling Lisbon to keep the "circus act under control." Hey that's just a reference to his roots, so to speak, especially since he and his father used to work the Carnie, so he wasn't off the mark there.   Lisbon refrains from "pushing" Henderson back.

Vega (Kamar de los Reyes) was the drug dealer and he didn't fit in with the club, something about him didn't spell 'club owner.' Nor did that music didn't sound right for that club, it seemed so amateurish, perhaps they should have taken a leaf out of CSI: Miami for club scenes.   Neither did those extras quite gel.   Patrick makes an announcement for anyone to point out Vega will be rewarded with $500, but nobody bites, pointing out, "my colleague is Five-O."  He approaches the man at the bar and Vega comments on liking Patrick's "swagger."   Patrick tells him he's "hiding profound anger." He covets respect and he calls Patrick, "pinstripes" referring to his suit, which Patrick likes.  

Henderson briefs them on Vega's, activities such as killing his competitors. He's one step ahead of them but not so the CBI, now that Patrick's on the case.   I am restraining myself from calling him 'Patty' as I have done so since season 1.   Rigsby's (Owain Yeoman) found a 911 tip made by an anonymous woman referring to a "dead chick."  Cho (Tim Kang) finds Yoli's credit card was used at a hotel.

Concepcion Residence,  Sacramento, California:  Elvira (Gina Rodriguez) Yoli's cousin was at the club with her and Yoli's husband , Lalo (Wilmer Calderone) asks about her work, which Lisbon can't discuss.   Patrick meanwhile makes a beeline for the kitchen and catches Elvira humming.   He doesn't believe they were like sisters.   She covets Yoli's family.   Elvira found condoms in her jeans and thinks she was having an affair.   Lalo throws her out.   Patrick couldn't leave without trying the spaghetti sauce.   He loves his food and tea.

La Meridiana Hotel:  Where Rigsby and Cho find the woman who made the call, Summer (Samaire Armstrong).   As Cho questions her she notices he has a bad back and she can make it better.   Summer calls her the "dead chick" again and she claims not to have made the call, which Cho plays back to her.   She ran to help but took her credit card.   Summer knows about Vega and his operation.   Cho agrees to drop the theft charge in return for info on Vega.   The Perry's raided his stash house.   Cho makes notes like he always does and she thinks he's doodling.   Lisbon likes her.   Van Pelt (Amanda Righetti) finds the text Yoli received, "open champagne at fave hotel."

Patrick checks out Yoli's desk at the stationhouse and Henderson tells Lisbon she wasn't having an affair but was sending out messages in gang codes.  Champagne meant cocaine.   The code was used by the Perry boys.   It seems Yoli was keeping a lot from Henderson about her work.   Henderson insists Yoli wasn't a dirty cop; prompting Lisbon to send Van Pelt over to Yoli's house to discover info on whether she was dirty.

Patrick looks at the photo with fellow officers, Trey (Stephen Bishop) and Bianca (Victoria Platt) who tells him the condoms are used for drugs.   Lalo calls Van Pelt "Robocop" and she seems to ignore his comment.   Yoli kept info on the children's computer, where Van Pelt finds photos of a vacant house, possibly the Perry's hideout.   Patrick isn't happy on their couch and doesn't accompany Lisbon to the Perry house since the vest probably isn't his size.   He shrinks at the sign of danger or trouble at this moment.   Trey comes in and removes his disguise, he takes the drugs find to the property room, as if Patrick didn't know that's what they do there with the drugs.   Knew the old distraction ploy would come into play, as Patrick spills his drink and then steals some phials.

At the Perry house they only find DBs.   Rigsby's been giving Summer chips/crisps and she says, "Wayne knows how to smile, was he in a boy band?"  Cho lets her go.     She calls him Kimble, cos obviously that's not all Rigsby did, i.e.  just buy her chips.  She posits being able to make him cry like a baby.   Lisbon believes whoever killed the Perry's also killed Yoli.   But Patrick has a plan up his sleeve as he enters the Luxure and plans on making a deal with the alleged owner for a cut.   He's able to just come in here, cos "the law knows no bounds" being sarcastic, just a tad, cos he just made a complete ass of the law in 4.1, when he was freed for killing the so-called Red John.   He knows it's really Vega's club and leaves the drugs.

Later in a moment of male bonding, ha, which we haven't seen between Rigsby and Cho in a long time,   Rigsby says, "that pro seemed like a piece of work." Cho adds her name is Summer, like she knows his name is Wayne, which gets our Rigsy all defensive.   Patrick is taken in an SUV, asking the driver to turn down the bass.   Cho and Rigsby lose his GPS signal and find his coat and shoes in an alley.   Cho seeks out Summer for more info.   He doesn't have time for games and cuffs Summer, he's worried about Patrick.   All she asks for is a bit of courtesy and tells him Vega is at an abandoned garage.   Patrick is missing his shoes more than his coat.   He wants to sell Vega drugs , or Vega will "end up shoeless himself."  Patrick can give him info on the Narcotics Task Force stash houses and Vega claims to have already received such an offer.   Patrick tries to convince him he's being set up by Bianca and Vega loses his patience, wanting to shoot them both.   Patrick claims to have taken out the Perry boys and also Yoli, but Bianca takes all the credit for the shootings.   "Five-O" appears to be thrown around a-plenty.   Now Vega utters it.  Patrick knew he'd be rescued, like he always is and wants his shoes.

Yoli trusted Bianca and used their code incase anyone else got the message.   Champagne meant  Bianca was in trouble.  Lisbon comments she killed everyone with the same gun.   It was all about money for Bianca.  If she couldn't beat them, she joined them and Lisbon tells her she can join them in prison.

Cho: "I wanna use you."  He wants Summer to be his confidential informant and she notices he's got a "mysterious feline vibe" going.   She'd snitch on her mother for cash and he asks what she did and smiles.   Patrick tells Lisbon he saw Bianca as a suspect as she never removed her disguise.   Lisbon: "It's time; we need to talk about Red John."  Patrick making a quick exit by pointing out Lalo.   Lisbon tells him what Yoli was working on and how she saved lives.

What was missing from this episode of The Mentalist was the lack of continuity from last episode about Red John's sudden "reappearance" or "resurgence." Not until he's mentioned at the end, but Patrick runs off, leaving us hanging again (well this show has gotten good at giving, no feeding us small morsels about Red John whenever the writers/producers feel the need.)   It's to keep us satisfied and glued.   Lisbon being tired in the earlier scene with her and Patrick, why was that, knowing she doesn't sleep that much at the best of times?   Anything to do with Red John's reappearance.  

Also there doesn't seem to be any press reports about the shooting last episode (4.7 Blinking Red Light) and more particularly whoever killed Panzer (David Paymer) was kept under wraps for a reason no doubt and more importantly; shouldn't this have opened up a whole new kettle of fish about who shot Red John and who Patrick really shot and killed in the season 3 finale.   Though he was cleared of murder and double jeopardy means he can't be tried again for murder, that's on the assumption he killed Red John, but if he didn't then he can be tried for killing someone else.   Also they can argue 'copycat' killing (again?).   Of course the tiredness could just be a red herring: meaning they've been busy with another case and Lisbon hasn't had a chance to speak to Patrick about Red John yet, but what about the brass and especially the new boss?

On the other hand, they could be touting Patrick as a possible killer himself in future episodes or further down the line, much further; so it doesn't come as a shock to viewers.   Either way, it does show character development on Patrick's part.   Even after the Red John reveal - he doesn't seem to be that affected by it, although he knew all along Red John is still alive and wasn't 'surprised'.   He's more 'settled' in his approach to cases now than he has been in the past at the mere mention of Red John.   Also Patrick hasn't retreated to his attic space, which is where he heads when he's contemplating; thinking or keeping secrets.  He did that last episode after Panzer was killed.

As for character development, Patrick was in a better position to understand Lalo's grief, losing his wife to murder too, but Patrick doesn't display any empathy, instead he chooses to question Elvira.  Or to put it another way, he disappeared quick smart.   Patrick also seems so much more bolder this episode, whereas he shies away from accompanying Lisbon to the Perry house. He has his own reasons for that; yet he gets himself into the firing line with Vega and thus drawing out the actual dirty cop.   This time he doesn't know the team will come to his rescue ASAP, as his GPS has been removed.

Moving onto Cho, who hasn't gotten any personal time this season and his burgeoning relationship with Summer, though he only wants her as his CI (confidential informant) and nothing else.   Well let's face it, he must like her as does Lisbon.   Oh and notice the smile from him.   Then there was Rigsby, providing her with chips, I was going to say 'servicing' her, but never mind!  She was hungry, so was he.   Food would be on the agenda with him.   Summer to Cho: "I bet you just doodle in that thing." Oh and the line where she tells him she can get him to "cry like a baby."  Which remains to be seen.   Also what happened to Cho's girlfriend, Elise from Blood In Blood Out, (probably just a fill in for that episode's storyline.)  Summer calls them by by their first names.  Wayne telling her Cho's name.   Had to be him.   Great the way Cho turned the conversation around onto Rigsby and his emptying an "entire vending machine" for her.   Rigsby's and Summer's topic of conversation must have included Cho.

Patrick being called a "circus act" was nothing new and he's probably been called worse but he has a go at Lisbon for not defending him, she's too tired mate.   Cho's still in pain over his car accident in 4.6 Where In the World is Carmine O'Brien,  was some good continuity.   Patrick: "Mind turning the bass down it makes me want to go to the bathroom." Another hilarious line.  Patrick loving his shoes, which he's been wearing forever (his lucky shoes?) which never matched his suits anyway. "I'm really disappointed about my shoes." As for Patrick's comment on Yoli wearing a sports bra and Lisbon agreeing - that didn't look like a sports bra, more like a 'push-up' bra to expose extra cleavage.   Also the hurried way in which she painted her nails and describing her as a tomboy, why didn't she take the time to polish her nails, since her make-up was immaculate.   As for not wearing heels and bruising her ankle, sure she didn't plod around in flats when she got married.   This scene appeared a bit rushed and added nothing at all to Patrick's ability to "analyze" such intricate details pertaining to Vic's nuances.

For a bad guy Vega didn't seem at all threatening or menacing  and Bianca did his dirty work for him anyway, at least as far as removing the Perry's and Yoli was concerned.   Her so called "best friend" which was so easy for her, considering it was all about money.   It was apparent she was the killer but Patrick's reasoning she was the only one who kept her undercover garb on, was lazy writing, all based on the observations of Trey.   Not every undercover cop will react in the way he did.  

At least Cho saved the day and the episode and trust a 'pro' to get him off kilter.   Some good parts in this episode and some not so good - it just didn't feel like the usual Mentalist episode we've come to expect and especially for a season 4 episode either.   I'm glad I wasn't the only one who feels this week was a bit of a letdown, as friends et al have made similar comments.   Oh and 'Five - O' was a nod to the other CBS ratings winner, Hawaii Five-O.

Yolanda's such a common name in this show, Van Pelt's psychic cousin is named Yolanda.   In A Dozen Red Roses, Yolanda Quinn was the name of the actress playing Marilyn Monroe.   Also in the Pilot, Patrick uses the "I can't sleep" excuse on the doctor.

CSI: NY - 8.12: "Brooklyn Til I Die" Review

The CSIs look into the killing of a Jane Doe and the kidnapping of her companion; a wealthy heir to a fortune. Things are not as they seem when it's discovered the two were on a scavenger hunt, part of a 'GO' Game.

A couple at a club win and leave after taking photos of the head honcho.  She gets her dress caught in the door and once outside, they are confronted by two men in an alley with guns.  The woman is shot.  Mac (Gary Sinise) doesn't find any jewellery.  Flack (Eddie Cahill) finds her FBI badge in the name of 'Natasha Fatale' and didn't get any hits on the name. Obviously it's not her real name, but hey at least he tried.  She had a 38 starter pistol.  Mac: "Fake ID, fake gun, real murder."

Mac and Jo (Sela ward) process the CS and she finds another fake ID badge in the name of Boris  Badenov.  Sid (Robert Joy) comments on the irony of Natasha's name.  COD was a single GSW with a 9mm.  Hawkes (Hill Harper) says she bled out in the alley.  Sid also found a piece of a tooth on her dress with some soil attached, then asks Hawkes if he's a "T man or an A man." Hawkes was bemused and must have thought is Sid thinking dirty, ha.  He's referring to toes or ankles. Hawkes is a toe man.  She had micro-abrasions on her feet and chemical burns on her orange toes.

Mac looks at the Friend request on the computer from Christine (Megan Dodds) for which he holds off on returning a message and deletes it.

Hawkes posits the couple were gambling and with the wrong man, Danny (Carmine Giovinazzo) adds.  Lindsay (Anna Belknap) calls them both Cagney and Lacey and asks them what they have. Well for starters Cagney and Lacey weren't forensics specialists!  My qualm why were Danny and Hawkes giving their findings to her, she's not the boss.    Hawkes found traces of beef and curry in the tan, indicating there's a Jamaican restaurant next to the tanning bar.  Hawkes and Danny: "Boom!" Nice to see Danny's catchphrase has rubbed off on everyone else.

Flack tells Mac about his female friend who jogs in bare feet and wants him to do the same. Never.  He's as meticulous about his eating habits as he is about his body, good to know!  Mac spots a red sequin on the ground from her dress and Flack sees some more, leading to the door of the club.  There's another similar scene taking place as in the opening of this episode.  The man thinks they're not real detectives and Mac grabs him.  Flack takes the fake gun from the other one. The crime boss is Lonnie, (Jerry Kernion) an actor and this is all part of the 'Go Game.'  A scavenger hunt and this one was titled, "Brooklyn 'Til I die." Which turned out to be the case.

They're all actors except for the two people who play.  The money is also fake and Mac believes the killers didn't know it was.  They are given IDs for the Vics, Michelle (Jamie Hill) and the man was Preston Seville Jr (Ben Bledsoe).  Flack recognizes the name as his father's a billionaire.  Cue father receiving his son's severed finger with his ring still on it. The ring is a family heirloom and Seville Snr (Richard Portnow)  wears one too.  Jo reassures they're doing everything in their power to get Preston back.  Jo always gets that line for the family members.  She had that one in 8.10 Clean Sweep too.  He needs to be honest with her.

Seville has enemies and they're estranged.  FBI Agent Brandon wants to help out and they also have monitoring equipment.  Seville's hired personal security detail, whom no one seems to have checked out.  Mac states if they "find our kidnappers , we find our killers."

The finger is Preston's and the blood lysis shows he's still alive.  Lindsay has to being Lucy into the conversation about giving her right arm to get her back, which wasn't very tactful considering Preston's just lost his finger.  Jo tells her they can only deal with one appendage.  Lindsay discovered trace on the finger of egg shells and sea kelp.  Hawkes comments that Michelle was a teacher and yet she wore an expensive dress.  Well obviously it's cos of Preston.  Danny finds the fragments that Sid found and the tooth belongs to a criminal, arrested twice, belonged to Sindy Allen and she was killed by Lambert, who's on Death row in Colorado.

A ransom demand is received for $4 million in two bags dropped off at four locations.  Seville refuses to pay. He's earned his money and didn't inherit it.  Jo posits the best chance to get Preston back is to pay and wonders why they didn't ask for more money.  Mac agrees they must pay to get Preston returned.  They place GPS sensors on the money.  Danny sits in the taxi cab, whilst Lindsay looked so obvious sitting on the steps of the station. If I saw her, I'd run a mile or more! A man goes for the bag Danny's watching, just to give Danny his little chase and take down scene, cos it's not the kidnapper.

Mac realizes no one is coming as the deadline's passed and cos they're at the house.  One of the security men demands money from Seville.  Danny knows they were just a distraction.  Jo didn't notice anything was wrong.  Mac tells them the men were meant to be checked out, which is what I said from the outset. Jo realizes he had the entry code to the house.  Seville gives his description to the FBI artist.  They still need the money and demand $8 million.

Danny goes over Lambert's files.  He buried DBs in his backyard but doesn't have any connection to NY.  They need to find one between Sindy, Lambert and a store is located selling serial killer memorabilia.  The soil came from here and she gives them a list of customers.  Most of the alibis from the names on the list check out and Lindsay drops in, which is hardly surprising.  The egg shells and sea kelp came from fertilizer which was sold by a greenhouse in Jersey.  The employee's name matches Jake Williams, (Gene Farber) son of Mabel who was a manager at the store.  Jake is on parole.

Preston is found at Mabel's apartment along with the kidnappers/killers and even Mabel has a gun. Lindsay interviews Preston who explains Michelle thought it was a game and used her gun, which got her shot.  He asked her to play and got her the dress.

Flack questions Jake whose stupidity is unbelievable.  He doesn't need a confession, he's just "doing this for my own amusement" and ours.  Preston was at their apartment cos their mother is even more scarier than they are.  Mac talks to Gerald (Patrick St Espirit) and the bullet matched the gun in his closet.  They were only meant to rob them and she had a gun.  Gerald explains they need a way out and so thought of the kidnapping and really thought he was an agent.  Preston gave them the plan about asking for the money.  They killed Michelle and he knew his father wouldn't pay, unless he had a gun to his head.  Preston played the game to get away from his name and she lost her life, and he only lost his finger.  Lindsay leaves him the ring.  Yeah cos that's just what he wants right about now.

Mac agrees to meet with Christine and has a flashback to his partner's sister.  They meet for coffee.  She heard about the memorial Mac helped with and read about Claire, but didn't know she was dead.  Mac's thankful for the time they had together.  She recalls the party at Myrtle Beach and a lot has changed.

Mac looked quite uncomfortable meeting with Christine, know he's not really into dating, but she's not the first woman he's met after Claire and gone out with.  He is reluctant to let go of the past and his life with Claire, as anyone would be, but he's only here cos of the web page, otherwise Christine wouldn't have found him.  Conveniently Claire was mentioned here again for the season finale, also to show us whether or not Mac is ready to move on.  Mac has cheated on Claire before with Quinn Shelby (Kristen Dalton). She was in season 4 episodes, Like Water for Murder and Taxi. However it was just a kiss and he didn't want to take it any further as he loved Claire.  They can't have Mac cheating again, cos that's just not his character. Not to mention a little too obvious.

Could Mac have seemed uncomfortable cos he and Christine had something more than just friendship?  Especially that party and she brings it up, when he looked like he'd like to forget it, when plenty of beer was guzzled.  Otherwise why would he even think of meeting up again.  Oh and they met whilst Mac was at the Police Academy so there can't be any possibility of him cheating on Claire.

As said, Mac has had other women in his life; Rose (Penelope Anne miller) in season 1.23 What You See Is What You See,  Peyton (Claire Forlani), and Aubrey Hunter (Madchen Amick) but it didn't amount to much.  This time has to be the same since his heart still belongs to Claire and always will.

One more question, why was his former partner mentioned as well? Is there something about him which made Mac feel uneasy about Christine?

So that was just about the gist of this episode and again, it was just another routine case.  Have to admit this episode was not one of the ones that stood out for me.  A bit of a shame as I pretty much like them all.  It wasn't pleasant to see how Seville drove his son away and he had to to be threatened before he'd offer a ransom.  What's he going to do with his billions, take them with him?  If he couldn't use the money for his son, then for who?  It almost appeared he thought Preston had faked his own kidnapping for the money to emotionally blackmail him.  Clearly Seville had no compassion even in such a life threatening situation.

Not the first time a role playing game has been featured on the show.  Also CSI also featured a severed finger from a kidnap Vic in The Finger.  Hawkes has a different badge number in this episode, 8010, whereas in 1.23 What You See Is What You See, (funny I just mentioned that) it was 9786.  Apparently it appears Mac was only at the CS for less than half an hour since he arrived at 7.20am and was in his office at 7.55am.  Hmm, Superman?

Adam (AJ Buckley) was missing again this episode that's the second time this season without explanation.  Ben Bledsoe was in CSI episode Young Man With A Horn and Gene Farber was in the episode Sin City Blue.   Patrick St Espirit was in CSI: Miami episode Prey.

NCIS - 7.1: "Truth or Consequences" Review

The action continues from season 7, with Ziva missing and presumed dead. However the team mount a daring raid to get her back, with Tony being held hostage. A bit of a 'clip show' for newcomers.

Somalia, Horn of Africa.   Tony (Michael Weatherly) is tied up and being held hostage by Saleem (Omid Abthai).  He demands Tony tell him everything.   Tony..."because I'm gonna tell you anything." Well, yes Tony, don't think you won't.   Saleem has concocted his own formula of sodium pentothal and other agents to get the truth.   Tony comments Saleem will die soon, "Truth or not?" Saleem has studied America, as well as studying in America.   He's a great believer in knowing his enemy.   As he hadn't heard of NCIS until now, so where's he been then, that's a bit ignorant coming from someone who studied in the US.

In Tony's questioning, we get a rundown of the premise of the show and introduction to the team, just so we don't forget, ha!  Into season 7, it was more a potted history for new viewers.   I hate we're a year behind!

May.   Tony mentions the team as the "gang of 4."  You have to ask why Tony was so calm at being in the hot seat and injected with truth serum, since he was either really cool, or there was more to his capture than was being shown at this point.

The team is pretty close.   McGee (Sean Murray) has the heart of a lion.   Their team leader, he doesn't call Gibbs (Mark Harmon) boss here, is a "coffee aficionado and functional mute." McGee and Tony work on an investigation together and get their man after a fight.   The two have really bonded this season, though Tony is still mean to him.   But if that changed so would the heart of the show and the character of Tony.   The fourth member of the team was lost, meaning Kate (Sasha Alexander) but was replaced by Ziva (Cote de Pablo).   Saleem finds it difficult to believe there was a Mossad agent in NCIS.   Which was hard to believe and for the purposes of the show, reality had to be suspended.   As in the real NCIS, no foreign nationals are allowed, so Ziva certainly wouldn't be.   Not to mention that Shane Brennen hasn't been to the real NCIS building either as he's Australian.

Anyway, Tony mentions Gibbs as as sniper for purposes revealed at the end.   Tony wishes Jack Nicholson had been in the Spencer Tracy movie, Bad Day at Black Rock (1955).   He would've liked to have seen that.  To Tony, there's only "one force in the world to make a man die - vengeance."   He's here to kill Saleem.   Tony should've said "Saleem" in his Sean Connery accent!

Saleem says he got his BS from Yale and Tony replies he got his BS from the streets.   Well it's apparent what he means by BS.  Tony missed Saleem's impression of him and comments: "his essence is all in the voice."

June.   Tony wants McGee to fix his streaming film account.   Mentioning Bad Day at Black Rock.   McGee wants money in return for fixing his TV.   Tony: "If I had a thing, I would show it off all the time."

Gibbs' first line of the episode: "Rules against that DiNozzo." McGee asks Gibbs about filling Ziva's desk right about now.   Gibbs wants Tony to find a replacement, as long as their files have photos.   McGee thinks that's unfair, but Gibbs doesn't want a casting couch.   McGee can help him too.   Oh come on, it was just another babe fest for Tony in the guise of attempting to find a replacement.   Cos Ziva's irreplaceable.

Tony then refers to Ducky (David McCallum) who is the essential element to their team, with his "encyclopedic mind" which never stops working and sometimes it's like his mouth is connected to his brain.   It is isn't it.   Leading to another of Ducky's stories.   Ducky asks if anyone's heard from Ziva.   Tony and McGee 'interview' Claire, (Noa Tishby) a former DEA agent, she was involved in a personal relationship at work.   Tony doesn't like clingy girls or men.  McGee replies Tony didn't ask, so Tony replies: "Don't tell."  There's plenty of references to the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy over the seasons.   Tony alludes to how women with glasses are portrayed in movies, who then let their hair down to be seen as hotties.   I thought of The Big Sleep (1946) here, for an obvious example.   Gibbs has the final word and she leaves in tears after Gibbs is through with her.   Wonder if he was stern on purpose, wanting and waiting for Ziva to return and for her shoes not to be filled by someone else.

Tony back in captive mode again, refers to Ziva as being irreplaceable, she's dead and she can't be brought back.   He would if he could.   Saleem drinks from a flask, he's addicted to caffeine, but it's not coffee.   Another clue here, knew that wasn't coffee in there cos you don't use those sorts of flasks for coffee.   Tony goes on to Vance, (Rocky Carroll)  that it's lonely at the top.   He's not liked or trusted by everyone.   We've never got any input on what Tony thinks of Vance, or even McGee.

July.   At least they were working on a case which was new.   The question being who stabbed the petty officer.   Gibbs says they're a member short and it's confirmed Ziva is part of Mossad again.   Her father, Eli, sent her back in the field.   Tony never liked 90210.   Not really his kind of show.   Another new candidate for agent, Becky, (Sonita Henry) stands with Tony behind the glass in the observation room.   Tony tells her McGee is questioning Petty Officer Dominic Dimarco (Marcus Brown) as he's softening him for Gibbs.  

Agent Chad Dunham (Todd Lowe) tells them of a woman being held in Somalia.   Tony asks who the captive woman is.  McGee and Tony have dinner and Tony's not listening to him when he says he's thinking of buying some red leather pants.  Yeah they'd look good on him (thought not his forte).   Sean Murray's looking rather trim this season.   Tony doesn't think it's normal not hearing from Ziva.   With Ziva on his mind, you'd think he really does have deeper feelings for her, but I hope they don't get together, cos that'll change everything.   McGee thinks she's making a clean break.   Tony wonders if McGee's done something to her.   He ponders if she can't contact them and asks McGee to help him nose around.   Cue McGee on the floor, tied up with Tony.  Clever the way this episode was written and filmed.   From the references and flashes it feels as if everything Tony is saying as a captive,  is actually happening with them right now in DC.   Almost like his subconscious talking.   Even though it's in the past and already happened.

Abby (Pauley Perrette) can't believe they weren't going to let her in on finding Ziva.   August.   Abby's turn to be described by Tony: "A paradox wrapped in an oxymoron, smothered in contradictions and terms."  Sleeps in a coffin and is a forensic scientist, 'heart and soul.'  Ziva took Michael Rivkin's place on the 'Kidon' mission.    As explained in NCIS: Los Angeles Legend Part 2 intro ep; Kidon means 'bayonet' in Hebrew and is a secret department in Mossad formed after WWII for tracking down Nazis.   Now they go after the enemies of Israel.   Abby and McGee ponder the two options they have, of either hacking into Mossad or into Vance.   Becky hears that, is disgusted and leaves.   Tony receives word on the ship Ziva was on, the Damocles, for a future episode.

Heather (Mercedes Masohn) is from the Seattle PD and startles Tony.   Tony doesn't know if they need her here.   Gibbs questions Dominic, who claims he was slipped drugs (like Tony with the truth serum.)  Tony and Gibbs both say at the same time, that the he is the dealer.   Tony and Gibbs both give each other a look.

Abby and McGee got info from Ziva's burnt out laptop from last season.   Her father sent her on a mission on the Damocles, which Gibbs says was lost at sea.   No survivors.   Tony: "After that, everything lost all meaning."  So Tony, in the office, refuses to grab his gear.   Gibbs asks him to make his case.   McGee mentions personal items moving through Africa.   Damocles was being used to carry cargo and Abby used a cipher to break the code.   Caf Pow was imported from the US  and is listed on its manifest.  What's the bet Saleem would have an addiction to Caf Pow akin to Abby, so that's what was in his flask.

McGee is awake on the floor of the cell.   Tony asks how Ziva's summer was?  Ziva can only say, out of all the people in the world, "it had to be you." McGee didn't think she was dead.   Tony replies, "Couldn't live without you, I guess."  So he'll die with her.   I was just about to say, seeing as Tony was drugged, they could've asked him anything now and he'd have to be honest but no such luck, oh Tony mentions that too.   Also he tells Saleem that they have "one man."  Hint, hint.

September.   Vance comments no SEAL team will be sent on a mission on foreign soil.   Gibbs thinks they should send agents to gather Intel.   Tony volunteers himself and McGee and are both taken hostage, on purpose.   Tony failed to tell Saleem about himself.    Leaving the best to last!  He's the wild card.   Think True Lies (1994).   Gibbs fires and shoots Saleem from a distance.   That was the entire reference to him being a sniper.   Gibbs got to the camp ASAP.

Vance et al clap on their return home.   Abby hugs Ziva and Tony can only sit at his desk and watch.   There was so much going on in this episode, but we had to get Ziva back.   Looking back to the season 6 opener, Ziva was on a mission and separated from the team, after Vance had broken them up and she was in danger too, with her supposed agent/friend, Rivkin with her.   In this opener, she's not part of their team anymore either and is held prisoner and again in danger.  

Some great touches in this episode, Michael is so superb as Tony keeping the tension and the momentum going and even being under the truth serum, the jokes don't stop.   McGee and Tony have really bonded without Ziva being around, but McGee still expects Tony's jokes, criticisms and comments to fly, otherwise he wouldn't be Tony.   Also seems ties are no longer part of the wardrobe anymore for Tony and McGee.   Can't tell if Ziva was glad to be back or not.   She really appeared dejected and ready to die, as she had given up all hope.   So why didn't Saleem inject her with truth serum, or were we just not told since at the close of season 6, when Ziva was taken hostage, he was asking her about NCIS.   Take it she didn't break then and reveal all even though she would have gone under rigorous training to resist all forms of torture; as well as being able to inflict it.   Which is why I mentioned the truth serum.  

With the months being shown on screen, it was like Tony telling us what they did over the Summer, so it was only natural he'd ask Ziva what she did over the Summer too; aside from being caught and tortured.   No nicknames for McGee this episode from Tony, so in effect he left out an important piece of Intel for newcomers, that he calls McGee a certain name he deems suitable for him.   The film/TV references were mentioned since that's what Tony does, just so everyone knows and no show would be complete without them.

Excellent start to the season.

Stargate Atlantis - 5.1: "Search and Rescue" Review

In a continuation from the season 4 finale, the team resume their search for Teyla, which is made easier for them with Michael leading them right to her.

 Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) share wine and dinner and she likes to be spend time alone with him, as does he with her; well who wouldn't want to get Sheppard alone?!!  She didn't thank him for rescuing her from Michael (Connor Trinneer) and he doesn't remember that rescue, cos it never happened, at least not yet anyway.   Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) tells him he didn't rescue her; Sheppard bleeds, he was hallucinating and wakes up next to Ronan (Jason Momoa).  That must have been a shock to him, as he was already in shock from his injuries.   They have been buried after the explosion at Michael's compound.   Sheppard seeing Ford in such a moment was his guilt on display cos he wasn't able to save him either.

They've been separated from Rodney (David Hewlett) and Lorne (Kavan Smith).   The Daedalus is on its way to help.   Rodney hates confined spaces along with a whole lot of other things.   Zoom out to show how far they are from other planets, like some out of this world dream sequence, all the way to Teyla on board Michael's cruiser, who is informed his compound has been compromised.   Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) gets a rescue team together when one of the men returns with the news, whilst Rodney contemplates how difficult it is to keep his mind occupied since it's his mind.   He's found Michael's database which may turn out to be of help in the long run.   They shout for help and it's a bit dangerous making noise in Michael's compound as you never know who is around, as will be seen later.   Rodney mentions a subspace burst which would have alerted Michael to their presence and is probably on his way back.

Sheppard rues not being able to know what would happen, since "I'm the guy."  He should have contemplated the possibility of the place being booby trapped.   Michael thinks the birth of Teyla's son will lead to change.   She tells Kanaan (Patrick Sabongui) she has to escape and he thinks it's too dangerous, but Michael will kill them anyway and especially after her baby is born.  Rodney says Michael was going to bring Teyla here but the team arrived too early.   Michael arrives as anticipated and activates the gate, which Rodney explains is a Wraith tactic so no one can escape their presence.   Sam knows it's impossible for the Daedalus to beam Teyla out since Michael would have removed her transmitter.

Sheppard tells Ronan he keeps adding things to their deal and they hear digging above them.   Michael leaves when the Daedalus arrives and leaves his darts behind too, not very big on loyalty.   Thought he would have wanted to see the back of Sheppard, but no he just bails.  There goes Teyla and he loses hyperdrive on the cruiser.   Sheppard asks the digging crew about Harris and they reply "He's here," then asks if they prefer Duff beer or Oprah ale as the beers are on him.   Selecting Duff, cos obviously they don't watch the Simpson's, or drink beer which Sheppard does, can't quite picture him watching that.   Col Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi) reluctantly has the Daedalus drop their shields so they can beam Sheppard, Ronan and the jumpers aboard.  Sheppard had the chance to rescue his team before and lost it. He's not going to do that now and argues with Jennifer (Jewel Staite) to go rescue Teyla.

They plan an attack using 302s to take out the weapons on Michaels' cruiser and then a jumper can be taken in.   Sheppard defies Sam's order to stay and will surrender to a court martial later.   Liked to have seen that.   Teyla is about to have her baby and Rodney has to help deliver as Sheppard is bleeding again and since the hyperdrive is back online, C4s are needed to destroy it.  Rodney compares having a kidney stone to giving birth, don't think so Rodney.   Michael realizes they're on board and what does he do? He flees, the coward.   He's taken their jumper cos it's gone.   Rodney has to come up with something else and replies he's "delivered a baby isn't that enough for today." They need to get a message to the Daedalus and Kanaan helps them, Teyla being the only one who trusts him.   Sheppard flies a dart with baby on board (that must have been a first).   His ID is BDCA9 and the others are on Wraith storage facility, leaving the Daedalus free to take out Michael's cruiser.

Sam is recalled to earth as they've caught the Ba'al clone and Sheppard's court martial will have to wait.   As least Sheppard got a new version of the Nintendo to keep up with the latest technology.   Teyla never gave up hope of being rescued by him and Jennifer has to "play with his insides whilst he just lies there;" that sounded a bit dirty!  Teyla names the baby after her father and Sheppard, Torren John Emmagan.   The IOA want Woolsey (Robert Picardo) in charge as Sam is removed.   Well that was expected as this is a new season and after being in charge for one season they had to being in new blood, or old blood, to take over Atlantis.

Great to see a thrilling start to the season, which turned out to be the final one for the series - sadly.   Yet there was so much to be covered and so little time.   At least the same comical element was maintained in the season as well as action and drama.   Rodney - ever skeptical - of everything, continuing with his humour, with Sheppard and Ronan and their buddy scenes, they have great interaction and Joe and Jason have such chemistry too.

Sheppard has to say they'd do the same for him twice - once to Ronan and once to Teyla and of course they would; not just cos they're a team, but more importantly they are friends and dare I say it, family even.   Got a sense of Sheppard being a tad jealous of Kanaan since he and Teyla were getting closer over the years and more than just friends.   Also shown by Sheppard and his dream scene in the opening where they shared that moment.   But that ship has sailed romantically.   Think that scene was more a demonstration of Sheppard's loyalty to his team and to others, whenever they need help he will be there for them.   Counteracted by the appearance of Ford to contradict him since he couldn't save him.   He's the team member he mentions to Jennifer when he says he's not losing another member.   That scene with Sheppard and Teyla hands down was my fave one from the entire episode.

Amanda left the show after being offered a contract for season 5, to star in Sanctuary, as well as be executive producer.   If I was in her shoes I know which show I'd have gone for, then that's just me.   Why was Sam so shocked when Rodney told her of the Wraith tactic of dialling the gate/wormhole to keep it open and prevent their prey from escaping?   In Stargate -SG1, the Goa'uld also did this.   After a year as head of Atlantis that shouldn't have come as such a surprise to her.   As for catching the last Ba'al clone, this was an allusion to the SG1 movie, Stargate: Continuum.

Director Andy Mikita, interviewed by Newsarama told of the filming of scenes in the rubble. "I took my visual cue as well as design cue from the World Trade Center (2006) feature film because they shot a number of scenes showing people buried beneath the remains of the Twin Towers."

Doctor Who - 6.1: "The Impossible Astronaut" Review

Currently I'm blogging some of the past eps I've written and mixing with some new eps of other shows.

Liked the opening teaser with the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his portrait being painted, then hiding under the damsel's dress.   Showing us what the Doctor has been up to without his companions.   He was also imprisoned in the Tower and escaped in the TARDIS.   As well as attempting an escape in a World War Two escape tunnel.   As well as in the Laurel and Hardy movie, on the TV.  Amy (Karen Gillan) opens the blue envelope which is an unsigned invitation to a planet called America.   River (Alex Kingston) also gets one.   As for the name, this tells us we're already in the future, since it's no longer Planet Earth.   The Doctor waits for them to arrive and now sports a Stetson. "Stetsons are cool." River shoots it from his head.   Amy explains that River and the Doctor are time-travellers so they don't meet in the right order; when they compare notes, they're "synchronizing their diaries." The Doctor's been running his whole life and he needs them with him tonight.  A trip to 'Space 1969'.

The Doctor mentions Amy's put on weight and she notices a creature on the mountain.   He says more happened in 1969 "than anyone remembers."  Right, because everyone forgets what they see.   He is shot and killed by an astronaut which appears in the lake.   River says he was "killed in the middle of his regeneration cycle - his body was already dead."  They need to burn his body as empires would take his body apart, even for just one cell.   Rory (Arthur Darvill) suggests they give him a Viking's send off.   An elderly man approaches who appears to know them.   Canton Everett Delaware III, (William Morgan Sheppard) they'll be seeing him.   River notices the number on his invite and says there has to be a fourth invite out there.   Which has to be the Doctor's.   Amy just wants to give up and grieve.

At the diner, they find the Doctor alive and well, he trusted himself the most and his invite is number 1.   River slaps him for "something I haven't done yet."  River can't tell him what's happening and refers to this as "spoilers."  They all agree not to tell him.  The version of him on the beach was from the future.   River comments if they tell him, it would "rip a hole in the universe."  River: "There's a far worse day coming for me."  What could be worse for her than death, if death doesn't frighten her - perhaps ending someone else's life, someone she holds dear to her.    

8th April 1969.   They arrive in Washington DC.   The Doctor warns them they're not able to beat him at his own game.   The Doctor wants to know who she is and River wants him to trust her.   Doctor Who: "...but trust you, seriously."  He wouldn't trust her since he doesn't know her.   Amy wants him to trust her instead.   He has to do this without asking questions and she swears on fish fingers and custard.   Doctor: "My life in your hands..."  He's done that a few times.

Canton (Mark Sheppard) is ex-FBI and is contacted by President Nixon (Stuart Milligan) who receives a call from a girl (Sydney Wade) asking for help.   She's afraid of the 'Space Man'.   She gives her name as Jefferson Adams Hamilton, at least he assumes it's her name.   The Doctor deduces it's a location in Miami.   He's on loan from Scotland Yard; Code name: 'Doctor'.   The location is Florida because of NASA.   Outside the Oval office, Amy sees the same creature from the mountain, an alien in a suit.   She also sees him in the bathroom, where he kills a woman.   She feels sick, but has taken a photo of him on her phone, as she can't remember she's seen him.  The alien wants her to tell the Doctor "what he must know and what he must never know."  Cryptic here, did he mean tell the Doctor about his death in the future, or about the girl.

The names the girl mentioned, Jefferson Adams Hamilton are the surnames of three of America's founding fathers.   Doctor: "two of them fancied me."  He tells River she's got that face again, "the hot when he's clever face."  Seems if he doesn't recall her much, he remembers this face of hers.    River says being here, looking for the girl is a trap and she's thinking the same thing as Amy, that if they can kill the astronaut then it won't be around to kill in the future.   Adding not all of time can be re-written.   River investigates the tunnels under the building and comments she's "quite the screamer.   Now there's a spoiler for you."  Steady on, X-rated territory here!  Doctor has to throw in, she's just a friend.   Oh who was he trying to convince, ha.   River sees aliens in the tunnels and then forgets.

The tunnels are old and no one has noticed them as River tells Rory.   That's because they don't remember them being there.   Amy tries to tell the Doctor 'what he must never know' or we assume she's going to.   River lets on when she first met the Doctor he knew about her.   But everything's "back to front: my past is his future.   We're travelling in opposite directions.   Everytime we meet I know him more, he knows me less.   I live for the days when I see him...day's coming when I will look into that man's eyes, my Doctor and he won't have the faintest idea who I am and I think it's going to kill me."  But won't she kill him, perhaps, 'spoilers'.   Rory does know what it's like for an impressionable young girl to meet the Doctor since Amy went through the same thing.   Rory can picture River and the Doctor together and so can I.

Rory sees the aliens too and then promptly forgets.   That's sinister if they've been alive for so long and can make people forget for centuries.   When Amy remembers to tell the Doctor, things happen and she ends up saying she's pregnant instead.   River feels sick too after she saw the alien, so did Amy, but Rory didn't feel sick when he saw them.   So it must be a female thing.   Amy can't have been pregnant can she, and if she was, wouldn't she tell Rory first and not the Doctor.   The astronaut turns out to be the girl who summoned them here ; hence the trap.   Amy shoots her; she's saving the Doctor's life.   Strange  he didn't ask her what she meant when she said she's shooting her to save him.

River not fearing death, in Silence in the Library and Forests of the Dead, River is killed, but her conscious state remains.   This season 6 episode carries on from the season 5 episode, Silence Will Fall.   These aliens were more akin to the Weeping Angels, blink and they move.   If you turn away from them here, you forget you've seen them.

Intriguing start to the series with aliens having the power to make people forget, thus masking their existence.   River always leaves cryptic clues behind which make you think and most of all about the 'big' reveal as to why she's in prison.   When we meet River in Silence in the Library - that was in her past - she already knew him, thus her diary.   Now what happened in the beginning was in the Doctor's future - if that's the case River should know what's happening in 1969 - how to stop the aliens or is that meant to be left to the Doctor to figure out, as he always does, as she said not all of time can be re-written, or am I going off on a tangent.  It's one of those episodes where you just just go along with the ride (as with all Doctor Who episodes) without figuring out, or even trying to figure out what's happening because explaining it will just confuse!

The aliens, called The Silence were based on Edvard Munch painting, The Scream.

Mark Sheppard's father, William, played the older version of Canton.   Mark is no stranger to sci-fi having appeared in Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, Warehouse 13, as well as in Leverage.

 I wanted to add some words about the sad passing of  Elisabeth Sladen 1948-2011.

Elisabeth played Sarah Jane Smith, one of the Doctor's best and most loved companions.   Her character transcended generations from her appearances with Jon Pertwee, to Tom Baker, she was the companion from my generation and I, like many others, grew up with her on our screens.   Then her appearances in the new Doctor Who, alongside David Tennant.   She later went on to star in her own TV spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures, where Elisabeth brought her lovable character back for more to enjoy.   With appearances in this show from both David Tennant and Matt Smith.   A great actress; a wonderful person; an icon of our times, she will be sorely missed.   RIP.   As David Tennant's Doctor said most memorably in the episode School Reunion: "Goodbye, my Sarah Jane."

Castle - 1.4: "Hell Hath No Fury" Review

Castle (Nathan Fillion) watches Beckett (Stana Katic) doing boring paperwork and Castle comments on the worst tasting coffee he's ever had.   How does he know what a monkey that's peed in battery acid tastes like.  Beckett thinks he's hiding since his book is out today.   A DB has been found dumped in a rug.   Castle takes photos of the CS without the other's knowledge.   He comments, "every artist needs a muse."  Beckett threatens to break his legs if he calls her his muse.   She's so violent, well if it isn't the use of a gun, it's physical violence she has on her mind.   Castle doesn't believe it was a robbery since he wouldn't hang around to wrap him in a rug.   But he also knows who the Vic is, as usual, kept that to himself for a while.

He's Councilman Jeff Horn ( from the bus ads) he's up for re-election.   His wife, Laurie (Lisa Waltz) says she called him at 11, that's your first clue.   Also note her eyes looking down in a leftish direction, always a sign of lies and the feigned tears.   She tells them Horn would crash on the couch when he wasn't home.   She wonders what she'll tell the girls (that she killed their father.) Well she's gotta be number 1 suspect, as spouses always are.

Castle asks what Beckett's going to do next, establish a timeline, "grab a donut?"  She wants to know what her character's like in his book.  Castle replies, not too bright and kind of slutty..."smart, savvy, hauntingly good looks and kind of slutty." Martha (Susan Sullivan) calls to tell him no one's buying any of his books.   (Know what that feels like, ha.)  Storm isn't Potter (Harry) so there's no line out the door.   A woman looks at Castle's standee and puts the book back.

Ryan (Seamus Deaver) lets Esposito (Jon Huertas) know he picks stuff up from the street, like the red couch Esposito likes.  Castle knows the real robber would have left the wallet where he killed him.   Nesbitt (Michael Reilly Burke) is another suspect as he also says he spoke with Hornaround 11 just like Laurie.  Beckett believes it's premeditated.   (Castle loves his blue, especially in tops.)  Nesbitt points them in the direction of Creason (Bruno Campos), whom Castle also knows, by reputation.  He's left with worthless real estate but denies killing Horn, he actually toasted his death and claims he was at his club.   Castle whispers after the meeting, "I want to take a shower."  Some gals would add with him!  Or both of them.  Ha.  There's no need for Beckett to check his alibi since he e-mailed photos from the CS, specifically the rug, to an interior decorator friend of his.   Then going off on a tangent about sleeping with her too and it wasn't the same afterwards.  He doesn't know "what she is now."  They see the rug in one of the rooms.   And at this point I made my rug, as a hairpiece comment for a joke.   Beckett: "Don't gloat cos it's really unattractive."  Hmm, so she thinks he's attractive when not gloating - no mental or written note on that from Castle.   No wonder he was suffering writer's block when certain comments he can get mileage from just wash right over him.

Creason is brought to the precinct and he hates their coffee too.  Castle now believes Creason is innocent and he's the red herring of the piece, since the evidence points to him, he's a millionaire but not dumb enough to use his own rug.   Castle to Beckett: "You're good at bossing men around, I've noticed."  Beckett tells him Creason wasn't at the club until 1am and Castle can be heard shouting form the other side of the interrogation room.   Creason was positive Horn would lose the election since Jason Bollinger, his opponent (Joshua Lo Bar) had photos of Horn with a woman for blackmailing purposes from a PI.   (Politics, affairs, blackmail, all go hand in hand.)  Kirby (Jonathan Banks) was a former cop (and sometimes they're the worst kind.)

Castle calls Horn "Councilman Horny," knew that was coming.   Beckett wonders why it's always the good guys who end up messing around.   Castle refers to it as the universe loving irony and people are hypocrites (ironic comments in this episode.) Beckett wonders why she thought he'd leave his wife for her, Castle calls that sexist, she could have just wanted the sex and nothing more.   Castle asks what turned Beckett off Horn, "that he was wearing a rug." Hey that's my rug joke and I said it first.  Ha.

Kirby insults Castle as a "second rate novelist."  And what, Kirby's the cornerstone of decency.  The woman was called Tiffany (Alicia Ziegler) and was a prostitute with her own website.   Ryan asks Castle if he's paid for sex and he asks between his ex- wives.  Castle calls and arranges a date with Tiffany much to Beckett's annoyance since the police can't do that.   Castle retorts he's just a lonely gentleman looking for a date.   He buys them an Espresso machine, ulterior motive there too since he mostly has to hang out there.   Castle brings up the rug and if it hadn't been used, then the killing would've been deemed a simple mugging.   Alexis (Molly Quinn) asks about his current book and Beckett, saying, "you have to love your character."  Castle calls Beckett "research."  Now she won't like being called research.   Martha reads him an extract from the Syracuse Times book review and says Harper Lee was literature, but Castle's written many more books.   Tiffany calls back.

Lainie (Tamala Jones) and Beckett have another conversation about Castle as being fun and "do-able"(my word.)  Beckett needs fun.  Castle calls and gloats he's got a date.   Beckett can't believe Horn paid Tiffany just to talk, at first.   So judgemental again.  Castle questions if Laurie knew about them.  (Another clue.)  Horn told Tiffany he was being blackmailed and was looking for the blackmailer.  Not Bollinger, he's too obvious, but a sleazy ex-cop would fit the profile.   Bollinger tells them Laurie is running for Horn's position and if he used the photos now, she'd win for sure.   Ironic comment number 2.   They should follow the money trail.   Nesbitt pretends to be shocked at the photos.

Castle, Ryan and Esposito toast using their Espresso coffee cups, much to Beckett's chagrin.  Kirby was the blackmailer and Horn was paying him a quarter of a million, but didn't show for their meeting.  Captain (Reuben Santiago Hudson) comments a three year old could better than that line.   Castle thinks his reason is so bad it could be true.   Horn would go to the people who gave him money before, but Nesbitt says no one paid him anything from the campaign.   Castle asks Alexis who she would ask for money, naturally him and she reads him an extract from another book review.   That was the final important clue, Horn would've asked Laurie for money as she's from money.  Castle: "I'd ask you." As Beckett sat pondering the case, her hand quietly crept over to the coffee mug seated empty on her desk and she too sneaked over to the Espresso machine...to be startled and caught out by Castle.

Laurie knew of the affair, so she gave Horn money.   She claims Horn forged her signature and she preferred to pay off the blackmailer, after working so hard to get this far.   She posits Horn had the money with him, but it's actually found at her house.  He humiliated her so she made him disappear and called Horn at 11 on her own earlier admission.   Beckett adds conspiracy is still murder.  Nesbitt met him after her call and he shot him.   What's the point in Nesbitt running, he won't get far and he confesses.  The rug was a red herring.   Captain says good work and adds "you too Beckett," joking.

The women are in tears at Castle's book reading and Beckett arrives, throwing her coat off, to take out her annoyance of him at the store.   She's making fun of him and Castle asks if she's telling him how to do his job.   Martha blabs the characters name, 'Nikki Heat', which he calls a "cop name."  Beckett: "It's a stripper name."  Well Castle said she was slutty and that awful dress Beckett wore at the end, "slutty."  I rest my case!  Castle refuses to change the name, he's got "artistic integrity."

If you didn't get the wife as the killer/co-conspirator as your immediate suspect, then the title was a big giveaway.   Since early on in the episode Castle informs Beckett that his new character based on her is "slutty...slutty...slutty..." and what does Beckett do when she turns up at his book signing, looking, well, "slutty." She's encroaching on his territory this time  - he doesn't turn up at the precinct dressed so slobbish, or "male slutty." Ha.   Then she has the audacity to complain about the character's name, 'Nikki Heat'.   Knew the 'In Heat' title was coming up, that's offensive when you really think about it, more than the 'slutty' character.

Once again Castle has to solve the case for Beckett, again with a little help from Alexis, that she'd go to him for money, well of course, Horn's wife was loaded, where else would Horn's money be coming from.   Supposed to be about family values and what were the two of them really like, one slept with a prostitute and the other  wanted him dead.   That's family values and tax dollars hard at work.

Bruno Campos in 'almost' one of his last acting roles, so savour the moment, before he gave it all up for law school!  Not that that isn't a good thing, but the acting world 'lost' a great actor.  Now where did I put my Law Review?

Shame Castle had no chance to comment on her actually using his coffee machine, same said machine she turned her nose up at!  Rugs mentioned in The Mentalist, even though it was in season 3.20 Redacted, the rug wasn't to hide the body, the DB was found on this and was worth a fortune.    However, in 1.14 Crimson Casanova, an adulterous wife was shot and the husband was aware his wife had a lover, he was in control of the money.   Here Laurie was in a similar position.   In 1.19 A Dozen Red Roses: a former State Senator is murdered.   2.2 The Scarlet Letter: a State Senator's aid was having an affair with a Senator's husband.  Lots of similar themes here.

If anyone's interested, the earlier part of the article Alexis mentioned, reads: "For all the talk that so often gets thrown around by critics about who the hottest young writer is...it's seldom spoke what a rare pleasure it is to sit down and read something that is purely and perfectly fun.   That's what Richard Castle writes...! That's what this show is, "purely and perfectly fun."  His book's selling for $28 for 295 pages, that's a bit steep, even for a 'fictional, non-existent, hardback book'.   Though there are books available in the Nikki Heat series, released by ABC to coincide with the show: 'Heat Wave;'  'Naked Heat.' 'Heat Rises.'  'Frozen Heat.'  'A Brewing Storm.'